The United States has pledged a US$45 million aid package for Thailand and Cambodia aimed at reinforcing peace efforts following months of border violence, a senior US official said on Friday.
“The United States will continue to support the Cambodian and Thai governments as they implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords and pave the way for a return to peace, prosperity and stability for their people and the region,” Michael DeSombre, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said in a statement.
Mr DeSombre is expected to hold talks with senior officials in Thailand and Cambodia during visits to Bangkok and Phnom Penh on Friday and Saturday, focusing on the rollout of the peace agreement and “broader efforts to promote our shared interests in a safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific”, a spokesperson said.
Addressing reporters via videoconference, Mr DeSombre described the most recent ceasefire—reached after weeks of renewed fighting along the border—as a constructive step forward that had received Washington’s backing.
He also said the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained in Thailand since July marked a significant confidence-building measure. In support of continued stabilisation, the US will channel US$45 million in assistance to the two countries, he said.
The funding will include US$15 million to strengthen border security, assist affected communities and support displaced residents, US$10 million for landmine removal and unexploded ordnance clearance, and US$20 million for joint initiatives targeting scam networks, drug trafficking and related criminal activity.
Mr DeSombre added that despite cuts to US foreign aid programmes under President Donald Trump, tackling scam operations based in Southeast Asia has remained a key priority, particularly as Americans have been increasingly targeted by financial fraud rings.
Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand reignited last month after a ceasefire arrangement brokered in July by Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim collapsed, ending a brief lull in hostilities.
A new truce was eventually agreed on December 27, stopping nearly three weeks of clashes that left at least 101 people dead and forced more than 500,000 civilians to flee on both sides of the border. The fighting involved air force deployments, rocket attacks and heavy artillery exchanges.
